Sedation Dentistry

Did you know that an estimated 40 million Americans avoid
dental care because of fear and anxiety? Without regular
trips to the dentist, your smile's brilliance may diminish and your
oral health can suffer. Sedation dentistry, a term that describes
the methods used to manage patient pain and anxiety, allows dentist
to keep help people relax while at the same time allowing patients
to respond to physical stimulation and verbal command.

When to Consider Sedation DentistryYou
deserve a healthy, fabulous smile. Putting off routine checkups and
minor repairs can result in the need for much more invasion therapy.
If you have avoided treatment because you dislike dental visits,
sedation dentistry can allow you to comfortably receive the care you
need. Sedation dentistry is ideal for people who have:

A high level of fear or anxiety

Suffered past traumatic dental experiences

Difficulty in getting numb

An overactive gag reflex

Very sensitive teeth

Complex dental problems

The need to squeeze several procedures into a limited time
period

A fear of needles and shots

A strong dislike of the noises, smells and taste associated
with dental care

TMJ-related difficulties where it is uncomfortable to open
their mouth for extended periods

Understanding Sedation DentistryThe three
common types of sedation are:

Inhalation sedation like as nitrous oxide (also known as
laughing gas or happy gas). Often, your dentist will also provide a
local anesthetic with laughing gas to avoid any pain.

Oral sedation, which involves pills or liquid taken through
the mouth. The medication allows patients to enter a state of total
relaxation during treatment. Usually, patients also receive an
injection of local anesthetic as well.

Intravenous (IV) sedation sedatives administered directly into
the blood-stream through the vein for the deepest level of sedation
without general anesthesia.

If you choose oral or IV sedation, a responsible companion must
accompany you to and from the visit. Before any dental procedures
commence, the sedating effects of the medicine will cause the
patient to become drowsy and relaxed. The dental team will attach
the patient to a monitor so that the dentist can keep track of vital
signs. At the completion of the dental procedures, you will be
allowed to recover from the effects of the sedation before leaving
the office with a friend or relative. Feel free to resume normal
activities sometime in the next 12 to 24 hours, but someone should
stay with you for the first few hours at home.

Is it really Sleep Dentistry?Though
sedation dentistry has also been referred to as sleep dentistry,
this terminology is inaccurate. Patients will feel very drowsy
during the procedure and will not remember most of their time in the
dental chair. However, you are actually awake throughout the
treatment process.

Sedation dentistry describes the methods used by dentists to
manage patient pain and anxiety while at the same time allowing the
patient to respond to physical stimulation and verbal command.